The Hero Became a Succubus! - Chapter 42

Alt link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xj7J62Dh3Ho91LsYGcZ_lwp1IgvtxBHCnI30RXcqUew/edit?usp=sharing

Chapter 42

That bastard Bardell. He was really pissing Kanae off. Him and his Outriders just couldn't leave them alone. After cleaning the store up and reporting to the guards what happened, the party returned to the adventurer's hall to come up with a plan.

"I'm not leaving until we find Takumi and Ingrid. That's my friend out there, and Ingrid might have been a bitch, but she did start changing for the better while working for us," Kanae said.

"Sorry…" Edina fiddled her thumbs, troubled that she might have caused this. "It's all because I was involved with the Outriders that this happened."

Kanae shook his head. "No, it isn't. The only one to blame is Bardell and his syndicate."

"I don't mean to put a damper on our search, but not even the guards know what happened. What hope do we have?" Arenade asked.

When they reported the incident to the city guards, several of them had no idea and others just flat out ignored them. Which was weird. Because someone must have seen the attack take place.

"If I may," Thedia began. "It is very possible that some guards within Orturic are under the Outriders' payroll and looked the other way."

The other three gasped. They hadn't thought of that, and Edina corroborated Thedia's suggestion that Bardell would have guards in his pocket. Leave it to the two who were less than upstanding citizens to come to that conclusion.

For now, the group returned to the store to check if they missed any clues.

Kanae watched as Thedia's keen eyes discerned the tracks of a wagon or carriage  in the dirt road, having parked right up against the door. The vehicle must have been somewhat large enough to hold multiple people and obscure what was going on, so that the crowded marketplace couldn't see the front of the store.

The cat girl was more than just a maid. While he knew she was a member of Renya's lucrative shipping crew, there appeared to be more about her than meets the eye.

"Judging by the direction they were headed, it is safe to say they went north. Since we're close to the coast, north from here can be many places, but the primary mode of travel is the Imperial Span," Thedia explained.

"Imperial Span?" Kanae repeated.

Arenade lit up and seized the opportunity to boast. "It's an extensive highway built thousands of years ago by me— my ancestors still in use today. The length of the road extends from one end of the continent to the other, uniting multiple kingdoms and serving as the artery throughout the lands."

"The Imperial Span is also how the Rown Company made most of its moolah. Isn't that right?" Edina added, casting a look to Thedia.

"Indeed, it is." The cat girl maid nodded. "Rown Company has conducted repairs to the highway, established rest stops and operated a transportation business, and more that have contributed to the growing prosperity of all kingdoms involved. All who travel walk the Imperial Span."

That sounded like quite the feat of engineering. The closest thing Kanae could associate it to was the Great Wall of China back on Earth. However, the Imperial Span was designed with the specific intention to connect the continent rather than to separate it.

"So it's possible that the kidnappers hopped onto the Imperial Span?" Kanae asked.

"If their intention is to reach whatever their destination is in a timely manner, then yes. On the other hand, if they simply wish to disappear, then taking beaten paths is also possible. In which case, finding your friends would be nigh impossible," Thedia said, putting them back to square one.

As they thought further, Kanae caught sight of a pair of guards, wearing padded leather armor, at the market roundabout throwing suspicious glances their way. One of them had his back turned to them, leaning on a crate next to a vendor's stall. Another was munching on an apple and pretending to talk to his partner.

"I think questioning the guards the normal way isn't going to work," Kanae said.

"Wait, you're not seriously going to charm the guards, are you?" Edina asked, inconspicuously following his eyes to the pair.

"Don't worry. I'm high enough level that they won't even know they've been charmed," he assured her.

Previously, when the Charm skill's effect ended, the target would know they were charmed. At a higher level now, and after testing it on a lab rat of a demigoddess a few times, Kanae discovered he was able to fine tune the skill such that a charmed individual would think nothing of it.

However, he had only used it on Arenade. It would be his first time using it on others.

Kanae casually strolled up to the apple stand where the bright red fruits were displayed on wooden trays for people to pick out themselves. The guards immediately tensed up, but he made it look natural by paying for a sack of fruits. Since there were other people around, he wasn't able to outright charm them without it looking suspicious. So…

"Ah— sorry!" Kanae purposely bumped into a guard and spilled the bag of apples to make it seem like an accident. "I didn't mean to! Do you think you can help me pick these up and carry them back to my friends?"

The guards were about to shuffle away until Kanae charmed both of them.

"Sure, we'll give you a hand," both of them said.

They obediently walked alongside Kanae, carrying the bag of apples into the sex toy shop where everyone was waiting.

"Like a true succubus. Well done." Thedia smiled.

Manabe and Ichi each brought a chair out of the guards to sit down on. Their eyes were glazed over, and there was no indication of them faking it like Will did back when they partied up. Now the interrogations can begin.

"Firstly, are you two spying on us for Bardell?" Kanae asked.

"Yeah. We were supposed to just keep an eye on you," the one with a lazy eye said.

"Did you see what happened to the store earlier?" Edina chimed in.

"We were actually on watch to make sure no other guards butted in. Happened real quick. Outriders broke in, wrecked the place, and got out with two captives," the other said.

"Where are they headed?" Thedia asked.

"They didn't tell us that much. I did overhear 'em saying they were headed to a small village called Bisk."

That was all the information they had. Kanae sent them back to the vendor stall where the charm effect ended, and the group proceeded to ruminate over what to do with the new revelations.

"You're in luck, Kanae. Bisk is a village off the Imperial Span. There is no doubt they are traveling upon the highway," Thedia said.

"Then there's no time to waste. Let's go!" Edina exclaimed, still feeling at fault and gung-ho to make things right.

Arenade and Edina went ahead with Thedia to charter a carriage. They were already packed to leave, and departing as soon as possible was a race against time to catch up. There was no telling what the Outriders were planning to do with Takumi and Ingrid.

Meanwhile, Kanae stayed behind to say goodbye to his remaining two friends.

"Counting on you to bring them back," Ichi said.

"What do you want us to do? Keep running the store?" Manabe asked.

"Yeah. There should still be inventory in the back anyway. Chances are, even after saving them, I won't be coming back with Takumi and Ingrid. So it might be a while before we see each other again," Kanae explained, hesitating to leave them.

After two were already kidnapped, Kanae worried that it might happen again. The only way to truly end it was to take down Bardell himself which wasn't going to be easy.

As Kanae picked up his bags to leave, he hesitated at the door. Instead of leaving, however, he locked the door and put up the close sign on the window, then turned around to face his friends. A pounding urge to sate his sexual desire swirled within.

"Do you guys… want to do it one more time before I go?" Kanae asked.

Ichi and Manabe swallowed hard. The large minotaur and orc cocks were quickly getting erect, showing as massive outlines in their pants.

Kanae stumbled out of the store with a limp. His hips were beyond sore and pussy was leaking with cum, but felt renewed. A quick glance inside, both of his friends were passed out on the floor, thick members now flaccid, and left with a good memory. He made sure to say goodbye to Lina and Rog next door, Rosaline at her atelier, and everyone at the adventurer's hall.

"Bye, Kanae!"

"I'll buy a sex toy of you from your store later to remember you by!"

We'll catch up to you someday!"

Everyone's farewells were, suffice to say, incredibly varied. Many still regarded him as the Streaking Dragonslayer. Others called him a hero for saving Orturic for giving the demons the boot. It was a stark contrast compared to when he first arrived in the city as a nobody. Now, almost everyone knew his name. Too bad he would have to leave the fame behind for a new city.

The others were waiting at the north entrance of Orturic. Thedia was standing in front of a maroon carriage the size of a modest bedroom. Minotaur horns, the emblem of the Rown Company, were etched onto the side of the carriage, and wooden statues of bulls faced each cardinal direction on the roof. Four large, black beasts that looked like horses with the snout and tusks of a boar, pulled the carriage with great ease. Upon seeing Kanae approach, two of the monsters started acting up and startled him when they began licking his face.

"H-Hey! Stop!" Kanae cried, spitting a mouthful of their saliva and trying to push their massive heads away. One of them nudged a little too hard and knocked him to the ground, and he saw the beasts' massive, veiny cocks emerging from their sheaths. His entire body throbbed with desire even after already having sex with his friends just earlier.

Thedia rushed over to help him up.

"Sorry about them," the coachman said from his driver's seat. "Don't usually act up like that. My name's Jarvy. I'll be your driver to Lograin."

"It's… no problem." Kanae gulped.

Edina poked her head out the window, holding an embroidered cushion. "Kanae, Kanae! Look at this pillow! Something like this has got to sell for a lot!"

"That's property of the Rown Company, you brat. Don't think you're taking a damn thing!" Jarvy shouted.

Thedia unburdened Kanae of the bags in his hands and placed them in a compartment below the carriage. She then opened the back door for him to join his party within, who had already made themselves comfortable in the cushioned seats that were long enough to lie down on.

"Lady Renya shouldn't mind a delay. Rest assured, I shall assist you in searching for your friends," Thedia said.

"Thanks. I hope we can find them soon…" Kanae sighed, shutting the door and feeling the carriage lurch forward as they began to set off.

With Orturic quickly shrinking in the distance, Kanae couldn't help but feel his departure to be bittersweet. The modest city of beginnings kicked off his life in this new world. He made a name for himself. Now he was leaving it. However, he wasn't going alone. He had made friends, found old friends, and… consequently, made enemies. Unlike in his previous boring and uneventful life, he was going to have to fight to keep it.

"There it is! Just as beautiful as I remembered. I gotta hand it to those Rown folks for keeping it fixed and pretty," Arenade exclaimed an hour into their journey, sticking her head out the window.

Kanae joined her and was awestruck by the architectural wonder. They were quickly closing in on a massive elevated road structure built of white stone dusted gray from use, vines and vegetation growing along the walls, and traces of paint worn away from time. Birds perched on archways and columns raised almost twenty feet into the air, several of which had collapsed over the years and had no signs of further collapsing thanks to the Rown Company's repairs.

The road was wide enough to accommodate four large wagons side by side. A family of four, traveling the opposite direction on their wagon, waved to Kanae as they passed by.

Other caravans drove onto it to begin their long trek. Even travelers on foot made use of the road, staying by the side to avoid getting in the way of many passing vehicles. Their own carriage joined in the pilgrimage, moving at a brisk on the even terrain.

When night fell, the archways began to glow and light the length of the Imperial Span.

"Wow," Kanae uttered. "Is this all magic?"

"Nope. Just genius engineering," Arenade said. "The stones absorb sun during the day and expends that energy by illuminating the road at night. It's really— Huh?"

Kanae followed her gaze further up the road where caravans had stopped moving and were blocking the way. Their carriage made an abrupt stop in front of two wagons, carrying fruit and vegetables.

"What's the hold up?" Jarvy asked.

"Span's collapsed up ahead! Workers are on it now, but they say it'll take at least a day to fix with magic!" an irate beastman said from the wagon.

"If we wait that long…" Kanae bit down on his lip.

"Can we detour off the Span and back up it farther ahead?" Edina suggested.

"The Imperial Span has off-ramps, but it's too risky. There are many dire beasts that are much higher level than the ones in Orturic," Thedia warned.

The longer they waited, the more danger Takumi and Ingrid were in. Kanae wasn't going to take that chance.

"How far is it from here to Bisk on foot?" Kanae asked Jarvy.

"Give or take half a night's walk if you're fast, but I wouldn't if I were you, missy. These beasts make monsters from Orturic look like cubs. You're looking at maybe levels 40 to 60s at least," Jarvy said.

That was a risk Kanae was willing to take.

"I'll meet up with you guys at Bisk." Kanae hopped out of the carriage and was surprised that Edina had leapt off, too.

"I'm going with you," Edina said, summoning a small skeleton army to escort them.

Arenade hesitated to go. Although Kanae thought he had made strides in getting through to her, he didn't blame her for wanting to stay where it's safe. Leaving Arenade, Thedia, and the carriage behind, the two of them descended the ramp meant for vehicles coming on or off the Span. A forest much thicker and darker than Orturic awaited them.

"You know, just being the two of us is like back when we first met," Edina joked.

"Except we're much stronger now," Kanae added with a smile.

"I can't say it enough, but I really am glad to have met you. That's why, I'm going to do everything I can to help. My necromantic powers are yours to command!" She threw a fist into the air and her skeletal horde did the same.

Feeling a lot more confident, they ventured along the wall of the span. The next ramp should be several kilometers down. As soon as they reach the road again, it was smooth sail—

Deep growling from beyond the thicket turned the blood in their veins to ice. Kanae and Edina turned in the direction of the sounds to find half a dozen glowing, red eyes staring back at them.

"Eep… I don't think we're that much stronger yet," Edina squeaked.

"Wait. M-Maybe… whatever it is, I can have sex with it and level up," Kanae said, brimming with excitement.

"Is now really the time to think about sex, you horny demon?!" She looked down in time to see both of their legs snatched by tentacles. "Oh, great. I'm getting deja vu all over a— gaaaaaaiiiiiiiiinnnnnn!"

Kanae and Edina were dragged into the forest, bumping against rocks and trees along the way. They finally stopped and were reeled up like hooked fish into the branches, then dropped into a vat of liquid that smelled like honey and as viscous as runny sauce.

"Ugh… What is this…?" Edina groaned, climbing to her feet and helping Kanae to his feet.

It appeared to be a gigantic, hollow flower bulb they were dropped into. The liquid only went up to their ankles. Attacking the petals with the dragonscale whip didn't so much as scratch the surface.

"I don't know, but my head is starting to feel woozy." Kanae shuddered as the sticky liquid on his body began to make him feel really hot. He licked the substance on his fingers and rather liked the taste. It had an addictive flavor that tasted of… alcohol.

"Kanae… Hic!" Edina was red in the face and breathing heavily. "I think… I think I'm drunk…"